AUSTIN — With descriptions of decrepit cabins, failing water systems and jury-rigged maintenance trucks, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department made its case to lawmakers on Wednesday for money to repair the ailing state park system.

Parks officials want all of the estimated $105 million collected annually on sporting-goods sales taxes to revitalize the 600,000-acre parks system.

The sporting-goods sales tax fund for parks was created in 1993, but lawmakers have often diverted most of the money to other needs. Just $20.6 million from the fund went to state parks last year.

Robert Cook, the department's executive director, told members of a House appropriations subcommittee that the agency has forgone repairs to cabins built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps at about 40 state parks.

The cabins still have their original plumbing systems and electrical wiring, which are so old it's impossible to add air conditioning or even a water heater, Cook said.

Cook also said his staff needs new vehicles to do their jobs safely and efficiently. Some parks rebuild broken-down pickups and mowers with cannibalized parts from other equipment that's in even worse shape, he said.

"We've made it, but our mileage is extremely high and our maintenance is extremely high," Cook said.

Water systems, both for drinking and for wastewater, have also failed at several parks, he said.

"Either of those systems go down and we gotta close a park," Cook said. "And we've had to do that, and that's terrible to get to that point."

State Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, has filed legislation to send all money from the sporting-goods tax to the state parks system.

Rep. Carl Isett, a Lubbock Republican who chairs the subcommittee, said he supports Hilderbran's proposal.

"There are a lot of opportunities we have to expand our park system, not just expand them but make them nicer and make them more attractive to Texans for generations," he said.

House Speaker Tom Craddick has said he supports significantly increasing funding for state parks, either by appropriating a larger portion of the sporting-goods tax proceeds or through other means.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst also has said parks need more money, but he questioned whether the department had the capacity to use all the additional funds.

Gov. Rick Perry expressed similar concerns last month. On Monday, however, he declared parks funding an emergency issue, allowing lawmakers to begin considering the matter in the first 30 days of the session. And in his State of the State speech on Tuesday, he said all the sporting-goods tax money should go to parks.